Sunday, Dec 20, 2015

9:00 o'clock AM-. From home I drove northwest to Maryhill Cemetery
with my 2 sons Neil & Ted to pay respect to my
wife, Evangeline Rueles Magallanes Caermare Trabanca
who silently and lovingly left us Nov. 29 (Sunday ) for
eternal repose. Fr. Manny Duterte from Toronto, Canada
was waiting for us with Boy Briones, my wife's neighbor
mate back home, whose wife Aida was laid to rest also
on this burial place. Fr. Manny had a blessing & prayer
(responso ) in Latin. The temp was in the 40's with clouds
and sun. Beautiful Sunday.

We ate at Old Country Buffet for breakfast and went home.

On Beauty

" The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, or even touched, they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller.

I must admit and believe the veracity of the statement yet my heart hurts and my eyes flow tears of shame because we, who have eyes that can see and complete arms to touch, do not feel the way Helen Keller felt with her heart. This world is a beautiful and wonderful place lacking only over with the exploration and compassion of the human heart.  And the more beauty glows like the star of  Bethlehem where the beauty of redemption explodes with wonder in our hearts.

December comes with the most beautiful thing in the world that could be seen, touched, and felt by the human heart as the Savior will appear in a manger of the Christian churches. A beautiful Filipino tradition of welcoming the Infant Child is a 9-day novena mass beginning on the 15th known as Simbang Gabi or Dawn Mass, Misa de Gallo or Misa de Aguinaldo. This beautiful religious tradition has gained popularity in California, New York, New Jersey,  Chicago, Illinois, and even across the globe.

There was a 19th of December Simbang Gabi celebration at the Queen of All Saints Basilica at Sauganash in Lincolnwood, Illinois. That day was also the date that I was released from a 9- month of captive love in the womb of my dear mother to begin the discovery journey of this planet Earth. The splendor spread before my eyes and the beauty mesmerized my very being when for the first time I saw the light of shall we say freedom. I felt the fascination. The will to live engulfed me to do more exploration and investigation. I wriggled with a cry of acceptance but have no clue of its aftermath.

Indeed, Beauty belongs to the beholder but is felt with the heart.

A Tale of Dignity 1

Evangeline's Journey to Eternity                                                                                                         
 (Nov. 29, 2015 - Sunday)               

You go calmly amid the din
And disdain to settle in silence;
Sans retreat you are always in
Awareness of human existence.

You are caring yet careless of
Haughty and oppressive person.
You are loving, loyal and soft
To those who live without reason.

You speak the truth with discipline;
Cautious not to hurt other's feelings
And to follow what is written
No matter what the result brings.

You are happy with your career-
Your faith, family and neighbor
For dear life is not forever
And living is a metaphor.

You are the daughter of our Lord.
You serve well this wonderful vale.
The nursing career you adored:
Yarn of a Florence Nightingale.


Note: Florence Nightingale (May 12,1820/ Aug 13,1910) was a trailblazing figure in nursing who greatly affected 19th -and 20th-century policies around proper care. She was known for her night rounds to aid the wounded, establishing her image as " the Lady with the Lamp". She is the pioneer of Modern Nursing. She was born in Florence, Italy.

N.B. (Words of love flowing with memories of :
Evangeline Rueles Magallanes Caermare Trabanca, RN, BSN,
Born into Life: March 3,1940. Born into Eternal life: Nov.29, 2015.
Education: Labason Central Elementary School, Labason, Zamboanga del Norte, Phil
        High School: Ferrer High School, Labason, ZDN, Phil (Valedictorian)
        College: RN, San Pedro Hospital School of Nursing, Davao City, Phil
                       BSN, Far Eastern University, Manila, Phil
Employment: District Nurse - Zamboanga del Norte Public Schools, Dipolog City, Phil
        Labor & Delivery Nurse - Norwegian American Hospital, Chicago, IL USA
Marital Status: Married ( May 29, 1973) to Gregory Intas Caponong Alcala Trabanca
        Children: Nathaniel "Neil" & Theodore "Ted"

Evangeline's Journey

Beloved Evangeline

Dearly beloved, we see the light;
We see all things are beautiful,
It captures us with pure delight.
All things are good: food for the soul.

We see the beauty of the list.
And suddenly some things have changed,
You just fade away like a mist,
This is how nature is arranged.

Guide us, stay, and never leave me,
Blaze the trail in our gloomy days
Take it whatever it will be

Along the shores and in the bays,

In our slumber, we hear you speak;
In the breaking of the pale dawn
Along the park and in the lake
To us happily on the lawn.

You see life in a baby's face, 
In a troubled world's countenance,
In all the faces as we gaze
Through the wide windows in a glance.

And now commences your journey
To a place called the Paradise

Where there is joy and eternity,

For the achievement, this is your price.

Voice

The Captain

There's a voice that guides creations
Amidst the noise of  modern culture
Many succumb to temptations
Others listen to the future.

We must listen to this voice
In the classroom of silence.
And we must be glad and rejoice
To the words of the Providence.

There is also that human voice
With a commanding resonance.
And we have no other choice
But the feeling of good riddance.

I heard this voice on my cellphone
One day in my backyard alone.

Reminded me of a captain  
On his boat amidst rough waters
With mission and vision to obtain
A stout heart that never wavers.

His compass moves with precision
With the traders and the farmers
Towards friendly persuasion
Accolades and laurels he gathers.

(Poem dedicated to Hernani Contrivida of
Dipolog School of Fisheries, Dipolog City, Philippines. 

Mr. Hernani Contrivida was a Principal and  Administrator

of the Dipolog School of Fisheries. He was an Educator, and also a holder of a Master's degree in Business  Administration.)

Commentary: 

"I don't question why Mr. Contrivida had you ghost-write (for the Zamboanga School of Fisheries superintendent's message) . You are such an awesome writer. That in itself is a divine gift, and I hope that you have identified His purpose giving you that awesome talent. Dios te bendiga, Greg!." (Eden Rachel Espina, BS.N. friend of my wife, who called her Vangie. Rachel migrated in the States, went back to the Philippines, and taught at (WMSU) Western Mindanao State University , 1983-1985.at Zamboanga City, Phil. After which, she had convinced his hubby to come with her to Chicago, Illinois.

A high school mate

Today, a friend's call unraveled the fabric of existence which brought us back to life's green and red light;  and the knowledge that we knew yet is taken for granted due to the hustle and bustle of daily survival.

"Greg ", Boy ( Rustico Briones) said, "she is no longer with us." He was referring to his wife. And memories wafted in the bridging atmosphere over the phone. "Why didn't you give us a call," I said.
 "but I understood what will really happen in that particular scenario."

"Now I am alone," he continued. " Nope, you are not alone, I said, " Remember, Footprints.?
Yes, yes. He is with you but calls and talk to Him. You learned that in your parochial and seminary days. Recite all the prayers that you've learned. The Angelus...And Boy replied."Yes, and you know what... I even pray the Latin version. Of course and it's shorter.

By the way, Boy, are you familiar with the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy?

"No-o-oh !" he responded.

I see. You got a pen and paper, handy? I continued. It's just saying the Rosary but you begin with the Our Father... Hail Mary...  I believe ...(The  Creed)

On the large bead before each decade say: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. On the 10 small beads of each decade say: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world. Conclude with: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (3 times) Follow it with: JESUS KING OF MERCY we trust in you! Simple, concise yet powerful. It's a celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, right?

"That's very good. I am praying not just for myself. I will do that," was my mate's (Boy Briones) answer, which was swallowed by the stillness of the evening.

Living Every Day With Passion and Purpose

On May 1, 2015, I attended a 3 hour and 45 minutes of a life-changing event at St. Catherine Laboure, 3425 Thornwood Ave, Glenview, IL, sponsored by the Chicago Cursillo. ( My wife, Evangeline Rueles Caermare Trabanca, and I were members of the first Cursillo) in my birth town of Labason, Zambo del Norte, Phil.) That event too, back home was life-changing as wayward lives of couples, single men, and women were drowned in the maelstrom of change from those 3-day close door event/retreat. And the dawning of a new day to the life of the attendees who were: parish priest, the town mayor, professionals, and non-professionals. My wife and I were single at that time.

But this event at suburban Glenview tweaked the very core of my being. It is a decision point. The speaker, Matthew Kelley, is a New York Times best- selling author of 16 books, an internationally acclaimed speaker, and a business consultant to some of the world's largest and most admired companies. He has that unique ability to delve profoundly into the genius of Catholicism. He pulled you to be the best-version-of yourself. He talked about engagement- that in our journey on this planet we are engaged or disengaged at work, in marriage, as parents in our quest for health and well-being, in personal finances, environmentally, politically, and spiritually.

Matthew Kelley asked: Are we as Catholics highly engaged, massively disengaged, or in between?  What is the difference between highly engaged Catholics and disengaged Catholics?  He answered these questions in his book, The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic. How engaging 1% of Catholics could change the world.

The 4 signs he wrote are 1. PRAYER 2. STUDY 3. GENEROSITY 4. EVANGELIZATION. That highly engaged Catholics have a daily commitment to prayer, are continuous learners, generous, and the audacity to invite others to grow spiritually by sharing the love of God with them.

After all these years, I still hunger for learning new things that I have not encountered during my humble, younger, reckless, growing days.  The decade I was born was the best of decades, the best of years. WW 11 changed the panorama of the world. The years before and after that were wonderful, memorable, and beautiful years. "Those were the days my friends, we thought 'twill never end... we sing and dance...". We were happy!
.

Chicago Christmas 2014

This is a moment to remember...
The sweet memories of the time
When lovely past  can't surrender
On those days blessed and sublime.

In the dark womb of oblivion
Emerge things so sweet, so noble
Rushing to create a vision
Linking pieces to assemble.

Inday came from Okinawa
With her son and daughter's smart kid.
From neighboring Canada;
Christmas endears Belen, indeed.

Riza and son from big Texas;
From Samoa came a woman
Bonding the families to last-
Unfolding tales on love's command.